Grand Theft Auto is coming to Netflix on December 14

Grand Theft Auto is coming to Netflix, which is a strange thing to say until you remember that Netflix offers downloadable games to play as part of its mobile iOS and Android platforms. And on December 14, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition is coming to Netflix members on said mobile platforms.

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, image credit: Rockstar.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy includes remastered and 'Definitive Edition' versions of the franchise's first forays into open-world 3D games: Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. These games first appeared during the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox era of console gaming, with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition released for PC and consoles in 2021.

As much as this sounds like a big win for Netflix and raising the profile and awareness of Netflix Games (the company is investing in making more games using its franchises and TV properties), we're also reminded that the 2021 release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition was an absolute disaster.

Developed by Grove Street Games and published by Rockstar Games, the remasters were, funnily enough, seen as cheap mobile ports of all-time greats due to the sheer number of visual bugs and glitches and the overall lack of care in updating or even enhancing the old-school visuals for the modern HD and 4K era. So much so that Rockstar apologized for the state of the game, saying that it "did not launch in a state that meets our standards of quality, or the standards our fans have come to expect."

Of course, the collection has received numerous updates since its 2021 launch, so it'll be interesting to see how much it has evolved and how it plays on mobile devices. Netflix members have access to over 80 games on iOS and Android - all without ads or microtransactions.

Switching gears to Grand Theft Auto VI, with the trailer dropping in December, perhaps Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy coming to Netflix on December 14 is the same day we get the long-awaited trailer.